Through the Years
by cagalli-chan
Summary: [AthrunCagalli] [Chapter 3 up] Sometimes taking the blame isn't always bad. ‘Their eyes looked oversized and teary, like a harsh word, reprimand, or look was going to make them cry...or the stuff from the kitchen fell into their eyes making them water.'
1. Patience is the Key

Disclaimer: Gundam SEED belongs to Bandai, Sunrise, and whatever lucky bastard owns it. I am not gaining any profit whatsoever so don't sue the poor student who is about to become poorer when said student is about to go to college. Especially a private institution. Need to write a better disclaimer. Not that anybody reads this. OO

Summary: _'Was that even humanly possible? Then again, this was Cagalli he was talking about. When angry, she could put her mind to anything. Like that one time…'_Pairings: Athrun/Cagalli, brief mention of Kira/LacusWarnings: An attempt at fluff here; I hope I'm getting better at this stuff. A little swearing but it's not bad. There are no spoilers as far as I'm concerned, but then again I always miss things when I review my own work. OOA/N: This was a challenge I took upon at the drabbleme community at live journal. The challenge was to write exactly 722 words, with either a pg or r rating, having the quote, "Try to learn some patience. It'll do you good." This is the result. I don't really liked how this turned out but I blame that on the constraints I was limited to. Or maybe I'm just making excuses. Oo Anyways, enjoy the little drabble.

* * *

Athrun strolled into the bedroom where he promptly collapsed into wide array of multi-colored pillows scattered across the bed. Today was tiring as far as work was concerned. Kira was unable to work for the next two weeks at Orb because of his and Lacus' fifth year wedding anniversary. They were currently taking a vacation on Earth since the both of them haven't really had a chance to look at it.Both him and Cagalli would have gone with them since it was also their anniversary being married on the same day as them, but there was one little problem that they had and they were unable to join them.Which brought him up to his current predicament…"You didn't forget, did you?"Athrun blinked and looked up to see Cagalli's figure leaning languidly on the door way. Wearing only a simple green t-shirt - which suspiciously looked like his own - that went down past her knees, emphasized the relaxed state she looked like she was in.Except that her face looked anything but relaxed. Slightly bemused, if not angry, her face was not relaxed at all. And from the look of things, she looked like she was going to make nothing out of something as usual. Sometimes, she could be so stubborn but that was one of things she loved her for.Sensing an incoming argument from her, Athrun shook his head a little clearing up any cobwebs that might of still been there, letting purple silk slide into the front of his eyes. Pushing them back, he decided to answer his irritating, err loving, wife."Forget what?" he asked with a completely innocent expression that would of done Kira and Lacus proud.If he wanted to infuriate her even further, he did a good job of it because Cagalli's eyes narrowed as well as arching an eyebrow. Was that even humanly possible? Then again, this was Cagalli he was talking about. When angry, she could put her mind to anything. Like that one time…"I distinctly remember telling you to get some Chinese take out as soon as you got out of work." He was interrupted from his musing to see her narrowing her eyes even further if that was possible making her look even more intimidating.Seeing that she didn't have her husband's complete attention, she glared at him even harder. "Where is it?" She emphasized her point by pushing herself off the doorway, putting her hands on her hips, tapping one foot, while still keeping that impossible expression on her face.Seeing as this was a discussion that could decide whether he was to live or to die, he stood up from his position on the bed to deliver the bad news."I forgot."Those two words were not the ones she wanted hear, he noticed, because she flared her nostrils, stomping to his position on the bed where she promptly threw herself at him. Instinctually catching her, he let out of poof of air and landed back on the bed with her on top of him, her arms striking whatever she could find."How could you of forgotten, dammit! You remember what happened last time this happened, don't…"She was cut off with a simple kiss that left her dazed. When her vision came back to her, she looked up to see Athrun with gentle smile that was rare for him."Feel better?" he asked with a mischievous smile on face, addressing both her and the swollen belly covered up by his shirt. He rested one hand on her hip and the other was rubbing the said protruding belly with light touches of his fingertips."I guess," she answered, like a petulant child not getting what she wanted. "But we're still hungry," she added threading her fingers with his and rubbing along with him."Don't worry. I'll go get some food soon. I just want to spend some time with you." A smile spread across her face at his declaration."How do you feel?" he asked with some concern, looking over her for discomfort."Okay, I guess. I just want this baby to come out right now," she said with a small pout threatening to spread across her face.Before silencing her with another kiss, he murmured, "Try to learn some patience. It'll do you good."

end


	2. The Simple Things

Disclaimer: Gundam SEED belongs to Bandai, Sunrise, and whatever lucky bastard owns it. I am not gaining any profit whatsoever so don't sue the poor student who is about to become poorer when said student is about to go to college. Especially a private institution. Need to write a better disclaimer. Not that anybody reads this. OO

Summary: _Cagalli experiences the ups and downs of motherhood. 'But no, she wasn't there to further humiliate and torture her poor mother…'_  
  
Pairings: Athrun/Cagalli, mentions of Kira/Lacus  
  
Warnings: No real warnings here or spoilers for that matter. Just a little fluffy chapter filled with the joys of family life. Also my lame attempt at humor so entertain me at least for this chapter. Possibly for the whole fic.  
  
A/N: I know how I said I wouldn't do a another chapter since the summary did once say 'one-shot drabble challenge' but I felt some fics of mine deserved an extension and here we are. This story will feature Athrun, Cagalli, and their family 'through the years' so to speak with the appearances by Kira, Lacus, and their family as well in later chapters with some cameos in between.

Enjoy the chapter.

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It was a sound that Cagalli had quickly gotten used to as a mother though with two children, twins at that, she didn't really have much choice in the matter. It could either fill her heart with joy and pride seeing them grow up right in front of her eyes, or make her despise the day that men like Athrun had come into her world with their strange idea of married bliss.  
  
…which truly meant they were running off to fight off the bad guys who wanted to take over the world or just commit mass genocide because they were bitter at the world while she did all the really hard stuff such as cooking for picky eaters, getting stains out of newly bought clothing, and giving baths while getting one in the process for starters.  
  
When she told Lacus this she had to wipe the silly grin that came to her face. Apparently they didn't share the same sentiments when it came to motherhood. Seeing as her and Kira's personality made it easy for them to raise their own twin children made her wonder what the hell she and Athrun were thinking when she found out she was pregnant.  
  
…then again it could be argued they weren't really thinking when it happened.  
  
It sometime often begged the questions: "Am I really a mother?", "Do I know what the hell I'm doing?", and "What in the world could that child possibly want NOW?!"  
  
It had come to mean a variety of things, as well. With Adam it was, "I didn't do it, but it's broke!" and "I got a boo-boo on my knee!" For Lenore it was, "Adam took my dolly!" or "Adam hit me!" For the both of them, there was the preferred, "I didn't do it, he/she did it!"  
  
And yet, somehow, without her knowing it, that sound had become her name. But no matter who said it, how they said it, or what it meant, Cagalli assumed nothing good could come of it being uttered at 2:14 a.m. one Saturday morning.  
  
"Mommy?" the tiny voice whispered.  
  
Though half of Cagalli's brain was still asleep (which was presumably the more comfortable half), she managed to open one eye. Not that it helped, since she was surrounded by darkness, most of which was hazy, thanks to her grogginess. She quickly gave hope to the idea that whoever it was might go away if she appeared to be asleep. Her mind agreed with her with a silent 'I triple dog dare you.' And she tried.  
  
No such luck for her.  
  
"Mommy?"  
  
Torn between the urge to scream "WHAT?!" and the internal need to be a caring mother for her children, Cagalli finally opened both her eyes, and then, when she could form a whole sentence, her mouth. "What is it?"  
  
"I had a bad dweam," the tiny voice responded, sounding even more pitiful. "Can I sweep with you and Daddy?"  
  
When the request fully registered in Cagalli's mind, she automatically glanced to the left, where her husband was snoring quietly. She quickly checked. Yes, they were both dressed. After all, they were married with two children, not dead. Adults needed time to themselves, too, and Cagalli felt (no, she KNEW) she deserved some quality time with Athrun. It had almost been, what, three or four hours since the last time?  
  
"Pwease?" the tiny voice pleaded. "I alweady went to the bafwoom."  
  
Confused, Groggy, Angry-at-being-Woken-Early Woman instantly gave way to Bestest Mommy in the Whole-Wide-World.  
  
"Okay, okay. C'mon, you." Cagalli blindly reached into the darkness, waiting for the child to come closer. Her hands brushed against a little round face, braided blond hair, and a Haro plushie which her father had given to her for her second birthday. Finally, Cagalli found a small waist and lifted her daughter into her lap. She caught a whiff of strawberry-scented gum, and her suspicions were confirmed.  
  
Lenore claimed her usual spot between her parents, and planted her Haro plushie firmly between the pillows. She then crawled onto her father's chest. "Night, Daddy," she whispered, kissing his chin.  
  
Athrun's reply was a grunt, oblivious to everything around him.  
  
Lenore returned to her spot and promptly slid beneath the blanket.  
  
Cagalli instantly felt used, among other things. She was the one that had woken up out of a deep sleep to help her youngest, by only a few minutes, child. But not just the baby, the only girl! And after all that, Athrun, the bum that didn't have the ability to mutter, "Night, sweetie," got the kiss? Life was now officially unfair, and the term 'motherhood' was devoid of any meaning whatsoever for her.  
  
Just when she was about to label the younger version of herself a deceitful little traitor, Cagalli felt someone bump her arm. It was Lenore, of course. But no, she wasn't there to further humiliate and torture her poor mother. Instead, Lenore wrapped Cagalli's arm around her small shoulders and rested her head against her mother's side. "Night, Mommy," she murmured, yawning. She reached up long enough to kiss her mother's cheek. "Wuv you," she added just before falling asleep.  
  
Either from pride or the need to brag, probably both, Cagalli beamed. Athrun had only gotten a kiss and a "Night." She'd gotten both...plus, a "Wuv you"...and snuggling privileges! Life was somewhat fair again, the value of motherhood restored, and the world saved...until Athrun had to go defend it against some pissed dictator with an urge to wipe out the Earth. But then, you couldn't let big things like that get you down. After all, it was the little things that really mattered.  
  
Until 2:14 a.m. the NEXT morning, anyway…  
  
end 


	3. Responsibility

**Title**: Responsibility  
**Pairing(s)**: none; implied Athrun/Cagalli  
**Genre**: Humor  
**Rating**: K  
**Spoilers**: none  
**Summary**: Sometimes taking the blame isn't always bad.  
**Author's Notes**: Chapter 3 for my once long forgotten fic 'Through the Years.' I needed to cheer myself up, 'nuff said.  
**Disclaimer**: The characters used in this fic aren't mine. They belong to Sunrise, Bandai, and whatever other company has a say in their fate.

* * *

While Athrun had never seen a kicked puppy in his life per say, he always saw what he would guess a close enough expression when the twins did something bad, especially something they weren't supposed to do in the first place. 

They were both fidgeting in their feet, Adam rotating on his heels with restless, twitchy motion while Lenore played with the hem of her t-shirt, nails coated in god knows what. Their eyes looked oversized and teary, like a harsh word, reprimand, or look was going to make them cry. Either that, or the stuff they made from the kitchen fell into their eyes making them water. Athrun made a mental note to tell them to wash out their eyes later.

Athrun started to say something, cleared his throat, and fell silent again. He surveyed both of them from top to bottom. Dirty clothes. He looked behind them. Kitchen a mess. He looked back at them. Both with big, almost doe-like, eyes brimming over with tears.

_Remember_, Athrun said to himself, _they're both only five-years old. They're still just children._

Hell, to him they were still the little babies whose diapers he changed day after day. Whatever they had in mind to make in the kitchen obviously didn't go as according to plan. Their clothes for a lack of a better word were beyond being rescued. Once pristine t-shirts now had stains he imagined Cagalli wouldn't want to clean out, shorts having different colors in them, some not so healthy looking. And if they looked bad then the kitchen looked worse. Who-knows-what were laying on the floor, with the counter smothered what looked like chocolate but Athrun wasn't sure.

Despite all this they were good kids. They ate their vegetables during dinner, brushed their teeth, cleaned after themselves, and were generally polite, and for all that they deserved some kind of sympathy. There was, at the very least, a sense of kindness to be considered despite the situation. Keeping his temper in check, he was aware it wouldn't be easy to forgive himself if his self-control slipped when they both looked one step away from an emotional breakdown.

Athrun took all of this in and said, "What did the both of you do to the kitchen? And for that matter yourselves?"

Lenonre just looked down at her feet while Adam's lip fluttered. "We…uhh…well…uhh..."

"Start at the beginning," he said in a perfectly calm and pleasant tone.

"We... wanted to make something to surprise mommy."

He almost laughed at the innocence in which that was said but remembered the situation and controlled himself just in time. "Is that all?"

"Umm, no?"

"Adam. Lenore. Getting both of you to talk isn't usually a problem." And it was true. They both had an inquisitive nature that made them ask questions. One more cautious check of their appearance, and another reminder to his brain to be calm and not just berate them needlessly. Take it one question at a time. "What happened to both of your clothes?"

This time Lenore spoke up, thinking using her sweet charm would win over him her being 'daddy's girl' and all. "Umm, they got dirty?"

When Athrun's mother was angry with him, he remembered her spelling out his name. Not even the short abbreviation of it, but the whole name, Athrun Zala, constructed manually, letter by letter, as slowly as she could do it without being ridiculous. Then, as the name built up in her fingers, he started to squirm, and by the time she was done with just his name, he was already regretting whatever disobedience had started it.

"Adam Zala. Lenore Zala." The words slid out from between his teeth slowly, like thick molasses.

Amazing. Different speaker, established vocals, and even ten years later after it being done to him, and it still had the same effect. If they both had been pitiful looking before, they now both looked like the poster children for robbing the bank and getting away with it with just that look. He was even sure people would help them carry the money out if they asked.

"Yes sir?" Even after all this time both of them responding at the same time still spooked him.

"Are both of you saying that to make mommy happy that the both of you decided to make us something in the kitchen? And unsupervised at that?"

Quiet. "Yes sir."

"And in doing so you both of you know you both might have gotten seriously hurt?"

Quieter. "Yes sir."

Athrun sighed. "Both of you get over here. Let me make sure you didn't hurt yourselves during…this."

Seeing as how they both knew they needed to please their father in any way possible they both complied. He checked them over. Ugh, these were the new clothes Lacus had brought them when they went shopping last week. Looking at it now he knew the stains were never going to come out. After checking over them for any noticeable injuries inquiring on their well-being, Athrun silently gestured to the mess they were both in and Adam recognized that a simple, innocent answer wasn't going to do it this time.

"We used the book over there to make something. Some of the stuff we tried to get fell but we were in a hurry so we left it. Then when we finished the bowl was heavy," Adam said miserably. "I tried to take it off the counter by myself but..." he shrugged in a helpless manner.

"Go upstairs and take shower and shower good. Adam, take the main one. Lenore, go to mommy's room to take one. When you take your clothes off set them outside the door so that I can pick them up. And next time, tell me if you want to make something in the kitchen. You know I would help."

Both of them looked up and blinked their eyes. "Next time?"

"With you two I have learned early on to always be prepared for the unexpected," he said with a fond smile that immediately relaxed them. "Now, both of you go get yourselves cleaned, and, if you'll excuse me, I have a mess to clean up. Don't worry," when he saw the expressions on their faces, "you're not punished and I won't tell mommy it was the both of you that did this. I'll take the blame."

Both of them looked like condemned prisoners who had suddenly seen sunlight again. They were both grinning from ear to ear. They both unexpectedly hugged him, dirty clothes and all. Athrun knelt down and hugged them with equal enthusiasm all while making a mental note to get his clothes cleaned when he was done. Before long he got up and with another pat on their shoulders, Athrun turned the twins towards the bathroom. The twins, grabbing each others hands, started skipping towards the door to clean themselves up.

"Adam? Lenore?"

They both turned back towards him, and Athrun was relieved to see that the kicked puppy looks that were on their faces earlier had been replaced by an adorable 'everything's-going-to-be-okay-you're-the-best-daddy-in-the-world' expression.

…and for a moment he almost cried at the sight.

"Yes, daddy?" they said in unison.

"Don't make mommy mad anytime soon." Athrun sighed silently to himself. Damn, whipped by five-years olds. "I have a feeling she going to be plenty mad when she gets back home."

_end_


End file.
